WorkshopLive interview with Tim Quick
Started: At age 12 in 1992
Education: BA Music -Jazz and Classical Studies, William Paterson University
Instruments: Guitar
Styles: Rock,blues,jazz
When did you start to play? I got my first guitar for Christmas in 6th grade but I wouldn't really say I could play anything until about a year later -I was a slacker at first.
When did you start to notice that your playing was different from everyone else's? When did you find your voice as a player? In the last few years I have noticed bits and piece's of "Tim Quick" coming out in my playing, but I really don't think I've found my voice yet as a player. I think that's a life long pursuit and I'm only scratching the surface at this point.
How do you keep your playing fresh? I listen to as many different players as possible, regardless of style, and try to pick up whatever I can from them. I come from the "jack of all trades" school, where I want to be able to do everything. I know that I'll never be a master of every style and technique, but whenever I hear something that I can't do I start working on it until I can and hopefully I retain it so I'm ready if it ever is needed.
What do you do when you get stuck? Be humble. I put my ego aside and find someone who can give me the answers I'm looking for.
What do you still find hard to do? The list is endless. The more you learn the more you realize there is too learn. But if I had to pick one thing it would probably be playing various styles authentically. I come from a rock and blues background, so I'm pretty comfortable on that stuff, but when I'm called upon to play other styles, particularly straight ahead jazz or country I start to sweat a bit more, or in some cases, a lot more.
How often are you surprised by your playing, or what you're listening to, or music in general? That's tough to answer, some nights are good nights, some nights are not so good.
Do you have a regular practice regimen? Do you have a practice "tool-kit" - metronome, tuner, recorder, etc.? Do you have a special place for practice set aside in your home? How do you practice on the road or when you travel? I have a regimen that changes constantly, if that makes any sense. I have specific things that I try to work on everyday, styles and techniques that I'm trying to perfect. That remains constant, but I also play in a variety of different bands with a variety of different songs, so I also spend a fair amount of time learning new material, which is just as important as practicing techniques and styles.
As for a practice tool kit, I need a metronome and my guitar, added bonus' are a tuner, mp3/music player, recorder and something to accompany me (backing CD, looping pedal, etc.)
Practicing on the road can be difficult depending on your traveling conditions. The biggest thing for me is trying to find the "alone time" to practice, where you don't have other people around you distracting you, or that you're practicing is going to distract. But with a little effort I can find a place and time to do a little bit.
Is there a piece of gear you just can't live without? My Strat and my metronome, as long as I have those I can still practice.
Are there one or two core ideas that are central to your teaching that you make sure every student learns? Music fundamentals and repertoire. You need to learn basic rhythm and theory in order to relate to other musicians. And you need to learn songs in order to have something to play.
Do you find yourself returning to listen to the artists who inspired you when you first started to play? Who are they? I would probably be embarrassed to tell you the first musicians that inspired me, but there are some core artists out there that I always find myself returning too…Hendrix and Jeff Beck are probably the biggest ones for me.
Does your playing change when you switch instruments? Definitely, sounds dictate a lot of what I play. Different guitars have different sounds and vibes which definitely affect the way I play.
How often, when you're playing, do you find those moments of pure music, when your head is clear, your fingers are working, there are no distractions, and it's just you and the music?
It varies a lot because so many different factors contribute to that. Again, some nights are good, some nights are not so good. I will say that it's a learning thing, learning to control my mental state enough that I can tune out other distractions and focus solely on the music, and that is something improves over time.
What music would you suggest for your students? I love a lot of the old school original blues and jazz stuff like Django Reinhardt, Charlie Christian, Muddy Waters and Albert King. A lot of players go back and listen to the classic rock stuff of the 60's and 70's which is great, but it's also important to listen to the stuff that influenced those players.
What are you listening to these days? Do you search out music that's new and unfamiliar to you? I'm listening to a lot of Jazz and Blues because those are the styles that I work on most and am trying to improve on. As far as rock there are some great players out there today but I am a little out of touch with it because I'm working on other things.
Do you have a musical wish list - other instruments to learn, people to play with, artists or styles to explore? I definitely have a gear wish list. I'm a total gear-a-holic. Lately I've been picking up all sorts of new pedals, lots of boutique-y stuff like Fulltone and Xotic Effects. I actually picked up a "Tim" pedal which is an awesome overdrive and boost pedal made by an engineer who makes stuff out of his basement in Nashville. People find it quite funny when they look at my pedalboard and see a pedal with my name on it, they think it was either custom made for me or that I'm incredibly vain, but that's what he called it and a handful of players all over the country use them.
I have a styles wish list as well. My wish lists are constantly evolving, I'm one of those types that is never completely happy with what he has, but I look at that as a good thing because it keeps me driven.
Have you ever had a really great teacher? What made him/her so good? I've been fortunate enough to have a handful of really good teachers over the years. A lot of what made them so great was their ability to explain things thoroughly to me in a variety of ways so that I could fully understand what I was learning.
How do you learn best? By breaking things down into smaller pieces and mastering those first, whether it's breaking down a style, or a tune, or a technique, or a chord change, just breaking it down into a small enough piece for me to learn first, then building on that.
Do you have any practice tips we can share with our subscribers? Think big but start small and you'll eventually get there.
visit Tim at www.timquick.net, www.moretheni.com, www.fulloutfreak.com
